Government Approval For Internet Tracking Research In China

Nielsen//NetRatings has received government approval to conduct Internet research in China. In doing so, the Nielsen//NetRatings service is the first and only service to be officially approved by the Chinese Government to measure consumers' Internet behaviour.

The company has worked with the Chinese Government to adhere to all regulations and policies and to ensure the integrity of its Internet measurement information, as well as the protection of panellists' privacy. In compliance with regulations and to localise the service offering, Nielsen//NetRatings has involved a Chinese company for software development and testing.

According to Bill Pulver, president of ACNielsen eRatings, "This official approval marks a watershed for the Nielsen//NetRatings service in Asia - and on a global level. It means we are the only Internet research company with our finger directly on the pulse of Web trends in the most populous nation in the world. We will also be in a position to deliver the most comprehensive Chinese language service to the Greater China community in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore."

He added, "Industry estimates reveal the Asia-Pacific region is set to become the engine-room of growth for global Internet access and usage over the next few years - and China will spearhead this trend. The addition of China adds the Internet activity of over 20 million more people to our global measurement footprint."

Nielsen//NetRatings tracks in real time the entire spectrum of Internet user behaviour including who's online, where they're going, what banner ads they're viewing and clicking on and how much time they spend. This information is derived from randomly selected consumer panels of home Internet users, continually refreshed to reflect the most current Internet universe.

Nielsen//NetRatings will immediately begin building an audience measurement panel in China and the service is expected to be up and running by early next year. The company will initially offer services that track Internet audience and advertising activity in China on a monthly basis, with more value-added services to be rolled out as the market develops.

China will be the 29th market to be added to the Nielsen//NetRatings service following the roll-out of the service in 28 markets worldwide in less than two years, including all major markets in Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. In the Asia-Pacific region, Nielsen//NetRatings currently measures Internet audience activity in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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